(We’ve just hired a new bartender, and he’s on a training shift with me. About an hour into his shift, I notice something a little odd: he is completely ignoring any requests from female customers as if they aren’t even there and is only serving male customers. On this night, my neighbor is at the bar as she is giving me a ride home while my car is in the shop.)

My Neighbor:*to the new bartender* “Hi there. Can I get—”

(The new bartender makes a shooing motion with his hand at my neighbor and speaks to the male customer next to her.)

New Bartender: “What can I get you sir?”

(The male customer looks at her, then at the new bartender.)

Male Customer: “Actually, I think the lady was here first.”

New Bartender: “Well, I don’t take orders from women. Women have no right to speak in the presence of a man, and they should learn their place, not be out in bars. This is a man’s land.”

Male Customer:*shocked* “Um… I think I’ll wait for the other bartender.”

My Neighbor: “Hi, excuse me—”

New Bartender: “Silence, filth! You can’t talk to me!”

My Neighbor: “Actually, I can. And since you work here and it’s illegal for you to refuse service based on prejudice, you can either get me what I tell you to get me, or I can come and talk to [owner’s name] tomorrow night. Either way, you put your own nuts in the vice here, sweet pea.”

New Bartender:*turns paper white* “You know [owner’s name]?”

My Neighbor: “Yeah. And I might just come in and talk to him anyway since you apparently think it appropriate to be such a misogynistic heap of uselessness.”

Me: “Hey, [neighbor’s name]!” *I hug her* “I’m running a little late. We’re waiting for the closer to come in. She’s going to show him what the procedures are.”

New Bartender:*to me* “You know her?!

Me: “This is my neighbor. The one I told you was stopping by to give me a ride since my car was in the shop?”

(The new bartender knows he’s really screwed at this point, and tries buttering up my neighbor.)

(Knowing how hard the job market is, my neighbor actually DIDN’T file a complaint with the owner. However, ever since then, not only has the new bartender had no problem serving any customer who comes in no matter what gender they are, but he’s very polite about it. He told me the next day that even if my neighbor is not a physically intimidating person, she scared the crap out of him!)